WASHINGTON — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request after it experienced trouble with its flight operating system, or FOS. The airline blamed technology from one of its vendors. As a result, flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 36% of the airline's 3,901 domestic and international flights leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company; 51 flights were canceled. An American Airlines employee wearing looks toward quiet check-in counters Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the FOS system. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS went down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Hours after the ground stop was lifted, Tajer said the union had not heard about "chaos out there beyond just the normal heavy travel day." He said officials were watching for cascading effects, such as staffing problems. On social media, however, customers expressed frustration with delays that caused them or their family members to miss connecting flights. One person asked if American planned to hold flights for passengers to make connections, while others complained about the lack of assistance they said they received from the airline or gate agents. Travelers wait in line for security checks Tuesday at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Bobby Tighe, a real estate agent from Florida, said he would miss a family Christmas Eve party in New York because his American flight was repeatedly delayed. The delays made him miss a connecting flight, leaving him the choice of going to his destination — Westchester, N.Y. — on Christmas Day or taking another flight to Newark, N.J., scheduled to land Tuesday evening. He chose the latter. "I'm just going to take an Uber or Lyft to the airport I was originally supposed to go to, pick up my rental car and kind of restart everything tomorrow," Tighe said. He said his girlfriend was "going through the same exact situation" on her way from Dallas to New York. Cirium noted the vast majority of flights departed within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 39% — arrived at their destinations as scheduled. Dallas-Fort Worth, New York's Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays, Cirium said. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 4,058 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed, with 76 flights canceled. The site did not post any American Airlines flights Tuesday morning, but it showed in the afternoon that 961 American flights were delayed. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were developing in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. An American Airlines employee wearing a Santa Claus hat walks through the American terminal Tuesday at Miami International Airport in Miami. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have "interline agreements" that let them put stranded customers on another carrier's flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers automatic cash refunds for canceled or significantly delayed flights. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That's because finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. American Airlines employees check in travelers Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so it had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The Transportation Security Administration said it expected to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. "It's not the destination, it's the journey," said American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ralph clearly was not among the travellers on one of more than 350 cancelled or 1,400 delayed flights after a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to Crowdstrike's "Falcon Sensor" software in July of 2023. U.S. airlines carried nearly 863 million travellers in 2023, with Canadian carriers accounting for another 150 million, many of whom experienced lost luggage, flight delays, cancellations, or were bumped off their flights. It's unclear how many of them were compensated for these inconveniences. Suffice it to say, posting a crabby rant on social media might temporarily soothe anger, but it won't put wasted money back in pockets. shares what to know in order to be compensated for the three most common air travel headaches. Bags elected to go on a vacay without you? Check off the following: If you expect a large payout, think again. Tariffs (air carrier contracts) limit the compensation amounts for "loss of, damage to, or the delay in delivery of baggage or other personal property." In the case of Air Canada, the maximum payout is $1,500 per passenger in the currency of the country where the baggage was processed. To raise that limit, purchase a Declaration of Higher Value for each leg of the trip. The charge is $0.50 for each $100, in which case the payout limit is $2,500. For Delta Air Lines, passengers are entitled to up to $3,800 in baggage compensation, though how much you'll receive depends on your flight. Delta will pay up to $2,080 for delayed, lost, and damaged baggage for international travellers, almost half of what U.S. domestic passengers can claim. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. Different air carriers and jurisdictions have their own compensation policies when flights are delayed or cancelled. For example, under European Union rules, passengers may receive up to 600 Euros, even when travelling on a non-EU carrier. Similarly, the DOT states that travellers are entitled to a refund "if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel." However, US rules regarding delays are complicated. Some air carriers, such as Air Canada, do not guarantee their flight schedules. They're also not liable for cancellations or changes due to "force majeure" such as weather conditions or labour disruptions. If the delay is overnight, only out-of-town passengers will be offered hotel accommodation. Nevertheless, many airlines do offer some compensation for the inconvenience. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. In terms of cash compensation, what you'll get can differ significantly based on things like departure location, time, carrier, and ticket class. The DOT offers a helpful designed to keep travellers informed about their compensation rights. The dashboard is particularly helpful because, as the DOT states on its website, "whether you are entitled to a refund depends on a lot of factors—such as the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances." The Canadian Transportation Agency is proposing air passenger protection regulations that guarantee financial compensation to travellers experiencing flight delays and cancellations, with the level of compensation varying depending on the situation and how much control the air carrier had. The proposed regulations include the following: The airline is obligated to complete the passenger's itinerary. If the new ticket is for a lower class of service, the air carrier would have to refund the cost difference; if the booking is in a higher class of service, passengers cannot be charged extra. If the passenger declines the ticket, the airline must give a full refund, in addition to the prescribed compensation. For overnight delays, the air carrier needs to provide hotel accommodation and transportation free-of-charge. Again, if you are unsatisfied, the Canadian Transportation Agency or Department of Transportation may advocate on your behalf. Passengers get bumped because airlines overbook. When this happens, the air carrier must compensate you. For international flights in the US, the rate is 200% of your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $675 maximum. If the airline does not make travel arrangements for you, the payout is 400% of your one-way fare to a maximum of $1,350. To qualify, you must check-in by the stated deadline, which on international flights can be up to 3 hours ahead. Keep in mind that if you accept the cash, you are no longer entitled to any further compensation, nor are you guaranteed to be rebooked on a direct flight or similar type of seat. Don't be too quick to give up your boarding pass. Negotiate for the best compensation deal that would include cash, food and hotel vouchers, flight upgrade, lounge passes, as well as mileage points. But avoid being too greedy—if the gate attendant is requesting volunteers and you wait too long, you'll miss the offer. According to Air Canada's tariff, if a passenger is involuntarily bumped, they'll receive $200, in cash or bank draft, for up to a two-hour delay; $400 for a 2-6 hours delay; and $800 if the delay is over six hours. (Air Canada was forced to raise its payouts in 2013 due to passenger complaints.) The new rules would raise the payout significantly: $900 for up to six hours; $1,800 for 6-9; and $2,400 for more than nine hours, all to be paid within 48 hours. Statistically speaking, Delta Airlines is the carrier most likely to bump. A few years ago, Delta raised its payout maximum to $9,950, while United Airlines tops out at $10,000. Get local news delivered to your inbox!"I always like to tease my brother a bit," Pere Guardiola said with a chuckle. "I told him, 'Hey, if you ever get tired of coaching at the top level, you can always come to Girona and work with me!' We both had a good laugh about it."In conclusion, the recognition and affection shown to Professor Guo Tiancai by being called "Guo Xiaomai" by his farmer friends highlight the deep respect and admiration that the farming community holds for his work and contributions to agriculture. His humility, dedication, and genuine connection with farmers have cemented his reputation as a trusted ally and advocate for the agricultural community. "Guo Xiaomai" is not just a nickname but a symbol of the strong bond and shared goals that unite Professor Guo with the farming community in their pursuit of a sustainable and prosperous future for agriculture.

The chaos and uncertainty gripping the Syrian-Chinese community serve as a stark reminder of the harsh realities faced by those living in conflict zones. The resilience and determination of the residents, as they navigate the challenges of daily life and make difficult decisions in the face of adversity, exemplify the strength of the human spirit in the midst of turmoil.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department's operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Before Biden's commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Berman said Trump's statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump's rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl's mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden's decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. _______ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.HM Shah Stresses On Mapping Of Demographic Data Of People Along India-Myanmar Border

1. Individual Variability in Sleep Needs

NEW YORK, Dec. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against ASML Holding N.V. ASML and certain of the Company's senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in ASML, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv . Investors have until January 13, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in ASML securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned City of Hollywood Firefighters' Pension Fund v. ASML Holding N.V., et al. , No. 24-cv-8664. What is the Lawsuit About? ASML is a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry, providing photolithography machines to chipmakers that are used in the semiconductor fabrication process. The complaint alleges that ASML repeatedly represented to shareholders that new export controls on semiconductor technology announced by the Dutch government would not have a material effect on ASML's financial outlook, and that ASML was on a path to recovery in its sales. On October 15, 2024, ASML announced earnings significantly lower than expectations. The Company attributed this to a market that was "taking longer to recover" and admitted that "[i]t now appears the recovery is more gradual than previously expected." On this news, the price of the Company's stock fell 16%, from a closing price of $872.27 per share on October 14, 2024, to $730.43 per share on October 15, 2024. Then, during the accompanying earnings call with investors on October 16, 2024, the Company attributed the poor earnings results to "a reflection of the slow recovery in the traditional [semiconductor] end markets as customers remain cautious in the current environment." The Company also disclosed that the decline in ASML's sales to China would also negatively impact the Company's gross margins. On this news, the price of the Company's stock fell 6.4%, from a closing price of $730.43 per share on October 15, 2024, to $683.52 per share on October 16, 2024. Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv . What Can You Do? If you invested in ASML you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Faced with food shortages, skyrocketing prices, and a lack of access to basic necessities, many Syrian-Chinese residents have resorted to hoarding essential items such as rice, canned goods, and bottled water. Supermarkets and grocery stores are being stripped bare as people prepare for the worst, fearing that their already precarious situation may further deteriorate.Jamie O'Hara Says It's 'Time to Go' for Postecoglou at Tottenham

Trump’s pick for housing agency chief has opposed efforts to aid the poorOne of the most impressive features in is the . It is a completely new UI element that showcases ongoing activities on the phone and appears on the lock screen. However, Now Bar is currently compatible only with a few stock apps. Let's have a closer look at it. Now Bar is a gorgeous-looking feature in One UI 7 The Now Bar on One UI 7.0 displays ongoing activities, like music playback and an active timer, on Galaxy phones. It is compatible with the following apps and activities: It is a pill-shaped UI element that first appears on the left side of the status bar at the top of the screen with related controls (pause, stop, etc). When you click it, it maximizes to a pill-shaped bar at the top of the screen. When you lock the phone's screen, the Now Bar appears at the bottom of the lock screen. You can watch it in action in our in-depth video below. When you play audio or video, the Now Bar appears with album art and music playback controls (previous track, play/pause, and next track). When you click the music playback Now Bar on the lock screen, it shows additional information along with a bigger album art in the middle of the screen and a media output switcher. You can see that in our images below. When multiple ongoing videos are present, the Now Bar widgets for each activity are stacked on top of each other, and you can cycle between them by flicking those widgets up or down. There is even a Now Bar that appears on the lock screen when you connect your phone to a charger. It displays the charging speed, the remaining time for a full charge, and the current charge level. The Now Bar for charging also acts as a progress bar, as the color filled up in the pill-shaped element corresponds to the current battery charge level. The Now Bar currently only works with some stock Samsung apps and system services, but we hope Samsung will support third-party apps with Android 16 and One UI 8.0. A that Google is internally working on an iOS-like Live Activities feature for Android 16, which could be integrated into the Now Bar for One UI.

Overall, the automotive industry's performance in November reflects a mix of opportunities and challenges for automakers. While some companies have shown resilience and growth, others have experienced setbacks due to external factors. However, with a strong focus on innovation, sustainability, and customer demand, these automakers are well-positioned to achieve their annual sales targets and drive towards a more sustainable and electrified future.Just over a fifth of four-year-olds have asked their parents for a this Christmas, a study has found. The survey of parents showed that 21 per cent of children aged four and five had asked for a phone that would enable them to access social media and the internet. That equates to some three million children at the start of primary school. By the age of nine, it has risen to 37 per cent, and among all under-11s, just under a third (29 per cent) have asked for a smartphone this Christmas, even though the such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok is 13. The survey by pollsters Opinium of 1,000 parents of school-age children was conducted for EE, which in August became the first major telecoms firm to advise parents and instead buy them “brick” or feature phones allowing them only to text and call. The company said that there was increasing evidence that parents were taking up the guidance with one in six (17 per cent) of parents saying they were resisting the demands of their children and . Alex Cornett, a director at EE, said: “Children under the age of 13 should not be using social media at all, and we’d encourage parents to use parental controls, as well as a family-sharing app like Google Family Link or Apple Family Sharing, to keep a watchful eye on where their children are going online.” Ofcom, the online safety regulator, found in April that one-quarter of three- to seven-year-olds have a smartphone, up from a fifth the previous year. It rose to 59 per cent of eight- to 11-year-olds and 95 per cent of 12- to 15-year-olds. An international survey of 10,000 parents, including 2,000 in the UK, found that more than half regretted handing over a smartphone to their child. They felt it impeded family engagement, hindered children’s sleep, reduced their physical exercise and limited time socialising with their friends. Ofcom is introducing a draft children’s code as part of the Online Safety Act to ensure they are not exposed to harmful content. But leading peers and campaigners have warned that its draft proposals do not go far enough and fail to enforce minimum age limits on social media sites, which are generally pitched at 13. The scale of the problem was revealed last month by Ofcom research which suggested that more than a fifth of children aged eight to 17 who were on social media had lied about their age to gain access to a platform. It showed, for example, that 25 per cent of eight-year-olds with a social media profile were on at least one platform that had a user age of 16 plus and 14 per cent were on those with a user age of 18-plus. Jon Higham, the online safety policy director at Ofcom, told The Telegraph: “What we see is 22 per cent of children are online with a profile which suggests they’re an adult because at the moment all too many platforms basically let children self-certify how old they are. “It doesn’t take a genius to work out that children are going to lie about their age. So we think there’s a big issue there.” Mr Higham said Ofcom would be setting out next month what social media platforms would need to do to verify children’s age. He said the regulator would be expecting them to use age verification technology that was “highly accurate and effective”. “The sort of thing that we might look to is some of this facial age and estimation technology that we see companies bringing in now, which we think is really pretty good at determining who is a child and who is an adult,” he said. “So we’re going to be looking to drive out the use of that sort of content, so platforms can determine who’s a child and who isn’t, and then put in place extra protections for kids to stop them seeing toxic content.” Ofcom will have powers to fine tech firms that fail to protect children from online harms up to 10 per cent of their global turnover – equivalent to £10 billion for Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – and also jail executives for up to two years for persistent breaches of the law.